Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra leaks, Google ignores benchmarking, Pixel 7a specs, Huawei wins smartphone camera award, Razr 2022 and Nokia X30 5G reviews, Qualcomm’s smartphone prediction, and killing the iMessaging killer.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
More Galaxy S23 Ultra Specs Leak
Samsung’s upcoming flagship (at least for traditional handsets0 si the S23 Ultra. And like many a flagship before, the South Korean company will be leaning into its prowess as a camera manufacturer:
“…the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom. While only the primary camera seems to be getting an upgrade, previous reports have indicated that ultrawide and telephoto cameras will also see improvements, thanks to better image processing.”
(SamMobile),
Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
The Tensor Test Is Not Just A Number
Everyone loves a benchmark, a nice clean number that says X is better than Y. But what happens when you design something that is better in operation but doesn’t have the best number? Google is dealing with this right now and is quite happy that its Tensor Mobile chipset doesn’t have that big number:
“They may tell some story, but we don’t feel like they tell the complete story. And so for us what we benchmark are the actual software workloads that we are running on our chip and then we strive with every generation of tensor chip to make them better, whether it’s better quality, better performance, lower power. “
(Made By Google Podcast via 9to5Google).
Pixel 7a Details Leak
Six months after the launch of the Pixel 6 and pixel 6 Pro, Google announced the Pixel 6a – a mid-range handset that brought the Tensor Mobile chipset and advanced AI to a wider market. Will it come as a surprise that a Pixel 7a is being planned and Google is adding to the feature list?
“Another notable change-up that appears to be coming for the Pixel 7a is the introduction of wireless charging. As first spotted by Android researcher Kuba Wojciechowski, the Lynx Pixel 7a is set to include the “P9222” chip for wireless charging. That said, according to the manufacturer, the Pixel 7a’s wireless charging chip is only capable of 5W charging and is best suited for something like the charging case for earbuds.”
(9to5Google).
The Number 1 Camera So Far
Huawei’s Mate 50 Pro has taken the top spot in DXOMark’s global ranking of smartphone cameras, with its wide operating range and software processing both highlighted:
“In photo, the Mate 50 Pro received the best overall score to date, thanks to excellent results in exposure, autofocus, and texture/noise. It generally provided very pleasant rendering, even in difficult conditions such as low light or high dynamic range scenes.”
(DXOMark).
Reviews Below The Fold
Motorola’s full-screen yet folding Razr 2022 flip phone certainly has the iconic looks but does the latest iteration have what it takes to be regarded as a best-in-class handset? The team at GSM Arena review the handset to answer that question:
“The Razr 2022 is a truly premium device, through and through. Motorola clearly decided to go all-out on the clamshell foldable this time, and it shows. Some of the key highlights of the phone include its refined and slick design and excellent construction. Also, the gorgeous, high-performing, foldable display and solid stereo speakers. While not without some issues, mainly to do with odd software limitations, the camera setup on the Razr 2022 didn’t leave us wanting either.”
(GSM Arena).
Reviewing The Nokia X30 5G
The Nokia X30 5G is the latest mid-range phone from the HMD Global team, and with nothing in the higher price bands, this is effectively the flagship device. Michael Allison has spent time with the middle-of-the-road phone and finds that description pretty much nails it:
“I’ve been using the Nokia X30 over the course of a week, and I’ve found it to be a very adequate phone with nothing particularly standing out. That’s fine in a bubble, but at this very competitive price point, it turns into a problem.”
Phone Sales Are Going To Fall
Qualcomm has predicated that mobile phone sales are going to drop over the next year, citing economic conditions in its latest financial reporting, with a double-digit percentage drop likely… and the signs are already there:
“Two of those “largest customers” likely include Samsung and Apple, which use Qualcomm chips in their smartphones, and both have reportedly struggled with not selling enough phones. In June, Korean industry site TheElec said that Samsung at the time had 50 million smartphones in stock, while Bloomberg reported in September that Apple decided not to increase production of its new iPhone 14 lineup. And Apple’s iPhone revenue for the previous quarter was below estimates, another indication of lukewarm demand for the iPhone 14 lineup.”
(The Verge).
And Finally…
Google has closed down yet another service that was once seen as the brave new world. Google Hangouts is no more. Ron Amadeo looks back at the potential answer to Apple’s iMessage, and wonders what happens with messaging now:
“The closing of Hangouts is the latest chapter in the mess that is Google’s messaging history. Google Talk launched 17 years ago, and Google still doesn’t have a competitive message platform. Part of the reason we’re on Google’s umpteenth messaging app is that there is no solid, stable home for messaging inside Google.”
(Ars Technica).
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
